Or to quote Kenny Powers, "I'll fucken sponge this whole entire ocean up with my big ol' dick."
The ISA, or International Surfing Association, World Games are happening right this minute in Peruvian surf. It is chunky and the sky is dark, but it also looks very fun. Overhead and slow enough for you or me to practice needlessly aggressive cutbacks.
This is, in fact, the 50th anniversary of the games, which truly showcase the universal appeal of surfing. Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Scotland all field teams. Hawaii, the United States and France do not. Why? Is it pride? Jingoism? Not wanting to see surfers from Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Scotland practice needlessly aggressive cutbacks?
The United States has a history of not joining international bodies. In 1920, at the Paris Peace Conference, the global community gathered to end World War I and form a consolidated assemblage called The League of Nations with the principal goal of maintaining world peace through disarmament and settling international disputes through arbitration. Theoretically, all winning ideas. But the United States did not join because Republicans, who had gained control of the senate, tend to think the rest of the world is crap.
The United States charted its own course, the League of Nations fell apart, the United Nations grew in its ashes and the USA joined that body in order to bat around ineffectual ideas and throw up roadblocks just for the fun of it.
It makes sense, therefore, that the United States did not field a team at the ISA World Games. Arrogance born of the fact that it is the only nation in the world that really matters. And it makes sense that Hawaii did not field a team. If you could surf Pipe, right now, would you want to surf Peru? But France loves chunky slow surf and, equally, loves any and all entangling alliances. It makes no sense for them not to be bogging rail at the Games.
In any case, the official reasons for no Hawaii, USA or France will remain a mystery. Calls to the ISA headquarters in La Jolla, California went unreturned.
“Calls to the ISA headquarters in La Jolla, California went unreturned.”
Have you ever been to the happy hour at the Marine Room Chas? Nay, have you ever been day drunk at the Marine Room (I assume that to be the reason the ISA was unavailable).
Barbara Kendall has just been signed up as vice prez of the ISA. I think she may surf, most definitely SUP’s but most well known over here in NZ as a Olympic gold medalist. ISA and it’s quest to get surfing into the Olympics makes another sloppy step forward.
Something you didn’t mention Chas! The ISA is press releasing this event claiming it is showcasing “the best surfers in the world”. It feels like maybe there is a tiny bit of niggle going on here between the ISA and the ASP, perhaps because of Greg’s comment? Oooooo! Anyway I love the ISA! But I do think perhaps it is a reach to call the competitor’s list in Peru “the best surfers in the world”.
They really should have called it “the best surfers in the world (from countries that don’t really have surf).” Whatever the deal is with the ASP clearly didn’t change Australia’s participation…
Wow! Interesting conclusion. Why didn’t you contact Surfing America Chas? There is actually a story here. The problem is with the ASP not abiding by a longstanding agreement to leave a two week window in their schedule to accommodate the ISA World Games. ISA traded the moniker “World Championships” for that small concession plus the ASP historically has agreed to grant waivers to their world tour surfers to compete. This year we asked for a waiver 6 month before the event and were told they scheduled a men’s Prime event in Brazil so men CT surfers could not compete in ISA. We asked “then will the women receive waivers?” 3 weeks before the event they answered “no”. We lost a sponsor willing to support a Gold Medal capable team because we were unable to have any of the surfers that came through the Surfing America system of Surfing America Prime events, USA Championships at Lowers and many years on Surfing America USA Junior Teams, compete. Courtney Conlogue, Nat Young, Lakey Peterson and Kolohe Andino all owe at least part of their success as some of the youngest on the World Tour to their experience in the Surfing America events and Junior/Open surf teams. The fact that ASP won’t let them represent their country is unfortunate as Surfing America is the farm league for ASP events. I guess they know something the NBA and NHL don’t know about letting their athletes represent their country. With Men’s and Women’s 4 Star and a Men’s Prime in Brazil, ASP Pro Junior Championships in Portugal, HIC Pro in Hawaii and even the Cold Water Classic (ASP Specialty event) there were not any available surfers to choose from to field a Gold Medal capable team. Brazil, Hawaii, USA, Portugal and France were all in the same predicament. We would have loved to go with a great team. Let’s hope the ASP can work this out with the ISA.
It’s ASP policy to recognise Hawaii as a separate county to the USA, an initiative of the ever-wonderful Rabbit Bartholomew when he was prez. How can we not follow?
“If you could surf Pipe, right now, would you want to surf Peru?”I love that Hawaii is given nation status in this article.